Method and apparatus for doffing full bobbins on textile machines such as draw-twister

ABSTRACT

Multiple full bobbins simultaneously doffed from group to group from textile machines such as draw-twisters are automatically accommodated within a bobbin storing cage in prescribed arrangements without any undesirable mutual contact of the bobbins and the apparatus carrying the cage travels intermittently along the row of spindles in order to carry out the group doffing.

United States Patent [1 1 Tsuchiyama et al.

Inventors:

Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. N0.:

US. Cl.....

Int. Cl

Yoshio Tsuchiyama, Kyoto; Tgshihiko Oka, Moriyama; Jun Takai, Otsu; Katsuhiro Fukuda; Akio Ando, both of Okazaki, all of Japan Toray Industries Inc., Tokyo, Japan Sept. 13, 1972 57/53, 57/156 Dlh 9/10 Field of Search 57/52, 53, 54, 156, 56

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS lngham, Jr 57/52 1 Oct. 29, 1974 3,266,231 8/1966 Roller et al. 57/56 X 3,367,098 2/1968 Schulz 57/52 3,374,617 3/1968 Bryan. Jr. 57/53 3,394,539 7/1968 Morikawa et al 57/63 3,462,934 8/1969 Schulz et al. 57/52 Primary ExaminerJohn W. Huckert Assistant Examiner-Charles Gorenstein Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns; Emmanuel J. Lobato; Bruce L. Adams [5 7 ABSTRACT Multiple full bobbins simultaneously doffed from group to group from textile machines such as drawtwisters are automatically accommodated within a bobbin storing cage in prescribed arrangements with out any undesirable mutual contact of the bobbins and the apparatus carrying the cage travels intermittently along the row of spindles in order to carry out the group doffing.

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DOFFING FULL BOBBINS ON TEXTILE MACHINES SUCH AS DRAW-TWISTER operations are. accompanied with indispensable surface contact of the bobbins with the other bobbins or surrounding machine elements. Such contact often causes undesirable damage of the yarns composing the bobbins.

In the case of bobbins of spun yarns composed of staple fibers, the weight othe bobbins is in a range from 0.3 to 0.5 kg, i.e. the bobbins are relatively light, and the yarns on the bobbins'already have many surface fluffs which were raised in the preceding processes. In the case of this type of yarn, ill effects caused by the damage due to the abovementioned surface contact form less problems regarding the final quality of the yarn.

In contrast to this, in the case of the bobbins of yarns composed of synthetic filaments, the weight of the bobbins is in general in a range from 1.0 to 3.0 kg. Consequently, the weight of the bobbins cannot be neglected in this case in view of the damage caused by the surface contacts. Further, owing to the relatively low frictional property of such synthetic materials, the shape of the bobbins tends to be undesirably deformed by such surface contact of the bobbins during the doffing operation.

For these reasons, a technique, which requires special training is needed to successfully carry out the doffing operation of the bobbins made up of synthetic filamentary yarns. In addition, exacting manual labor is necessary to handle of the bobbins of such heavy structure. Because of such difficulties, the employment of an automatic doffing system for the bobbins made up of synthetic yarns has not been as well developed as in the case of the spun yarns.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a method for doffing full bobbins automatically on textile machines such as draw-twisters without any surface contact of the bobbins with the other bobbins or surrounding machine parts.

The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic apparatus for carrying out the abovedescribed doffing and/or donning operation very successfully.

In order to attain the above-described objects, in the doffing system of the present invention, multiple bobbins are simultaneously extracted off of spindles of the machine by a doffing mechanism. Bobbins so doffed are carried separated from each other from the row of the spindles by the receding movement of the doffing mechanism. The bobbins so conveyed away from the machine are transferred to poles of a bobbin transferrer. This sequential operation may further be followed by accommodation of the bobbins within a bobbin storing mechanism, and disengagement of the poles from the full bobbins so accommodated.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be clearer from the ensuing description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly sectional side plane view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front plane view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 to 12 are explanatory drawings for showing the sequential doffing operation according to the method of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a side plane view of the bobbin transferrer used in the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a front plane view of a part of the arrangement shown in FIG. 13, i.e. full bobbin transferrer, seen in the direction of the arrow Z;

FIG. 15 is a view seen in te direction of the arrows FIG. 17 is a sectional plane view of the pole seen in the direction of the arrows F-F in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a sectional plane view seen in the direction of the arrows AA in FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a side plane view of the doffing mechanism;

FIG. 20 is a front plane view of the driving part for the connector of the bobbin transferrer;

FIG. 21 is a partly sectional front plane view of the mechanism for causing the tilting motion of the full bobbin transferrer;

FIG. 22 is a view seen in the direction of the arrow R in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a sectional plane view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 21;

FIG. 24 is a perspective plane view of the bobbin storing mechanism used in the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 25 is a perspective plane view of the bobbin receiver used in the bobbin storing mechanism shown in FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is an explanatory side plane view of the bobbin storing mechanism in combination with the bobbin taking-out mechanism;

FIG. 27 is a sectional plane view taken along the line AA in FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a front plane view of the bobbin storing cage and its related machine parts;

FIG. 29 is a perspective plane view of the bobbin storing cage;

FIG. 30 is an explanatory view showing the mode of the bobbin accommodation within the bobbin storing cage;

FIG. 31 is a side plane view of the embodiment, wherein the gripper chucks are accompanied with nozzles for ejecting compressed air;

FIGS. 32A to 32C are explanatory drawings for showing the bobbin doffing operation when the guide is used, and;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged perspective plane view of the guide used in the system shown in FIGS. 32A to 32C.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a basic embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is shown. In the illustrated arrangement, multiple spindles 73 are mounted on a spindle rail fixed to a framework 74 of the draw-twister in equally spaced alignment. Each V spindle is provided with a bobbin (not shown in the drawing) inserted over it. Yarns supplied from drawing rollers 72 are wound over the corresponding bobbins while forming balloonings by the assistance of rings and travellers.

The present invention concerns automatic exchange of bobbins produced on the textile machine with the above-described structural and operational features. Namely, the apparatus of the present invention-includes a framework 54 of a carriage movable along guide rails 62 which are disposed on the floor in front of the spindle rail 75. As is clearly seen in FIG. 2 a drive motor 65 is mounted on the framework 54 and a sprocket 63a, fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the motor 65, is connected with sprocket 63 via a chain 64. The sprocket 63 is fixedly mounted on the shaft of one of the wheels 60, through which the carriage is mounted on the guide rails 62. Travel of the carriage along the guide rails 62 is effectuated by the running of the motor 65. In order to adjust the travelling speed of the carriage and the travelling time program, the drive motor 65 is desirably accompanied with a suitable known type of electro-magnetic brake mechanism and reduction gear mechanism (not shown), which are joined therewith in series connections. Further, a doffing mechanism, an empty bobbin feed mechanism and bobbin transferrer mechanism, etc., are. mounted over the upper face of the framework 54.

The doffing mechanism is mounted on a movable base 40 which is held horizontally by a plurality of sliders 45. These sliders 45 are slidably mounted on horizontal shafts 46 and 46a, which are fixedly mounted on the framework 54 via supporter brackets 44. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the base 40 is so mounted on the shafts 46 and 46a via sliders 45 that it moves towards and away from the front side of the draw-twister.

This two-way movement of the movable base 40 is caused by the running of a drive motor 35, mounted on the base itself, in combination with a suitable electromagnetic brake mechanism and reduction gear mechanism (not shown). For this purpose, a driver sprocket 78 is mounted fixedly on the output shaft of the motor 35. A drive shaft 77 is rotatably disposed to the lower side of the base 40 and is provided with a driven sprocket 42 fixedly mounted onto the middle part thereof. This driven sprocket 42 is connected for rotation with the driver sprocket 78 of the motor 35 via a chain 79. In this way, running of themotor 35 naturally causes corresponding rotation of the drive shaft 77. Pinions 41 are fixedly mounted on both ends of the drive shaft 77 in meshing engagement with racks 43 fixed on the upper face of the framework 54.

With this arrangement, when the output shaft of the motor 35 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1, these pinions 41 are rotated in the same direction and; thanks to the pinion-rack engagement, the base 40 is moved leftwards along the horizontal shafts 46 and 46a. On other other hand, when the output shaft of the motor rotates clockwise, the base 40 travels rightwards in the drawing along the shafts 46 and 46a.

A pair of brackets 39-1, for the doffing mechanism, are mounted on the movable base 40 being spaced from each other in the travelling direcion of the carriage. As seen in FIG. 3, each bracket 39-1 is provided with a pair of swingable arms 29 and 30 pivoted thereto at their bottom ends. Free ends of the arms 29 and 30 are connected by a triangular link 32 so that the ends always keep a presecribed positional relationship to each other. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the triangular links 32 are connected on both sides to each other by a connecting rod 31, which extends in the carriage travelling direction and is received in the links 32 on both ends. The rod 31 is not axially turnable with respect to the links 32.

The connecting rod 31 is provided with multiple gripper chucks 36 of any known type, such as pneumatic, mechanical, electro-magnetic or oil-pressure type, mounted thereon at intervals corresponding to distances between neighbouring spindles 73. The purpose of these chucks 36 is the doffing of full bobbins from the spindles 73 by their strong grasp on the head parts of the bobbins on which the bobbins are built.

In order to effect the driving of the doffing mechanism of the above-described structure, the pivoted ends of both swingable arms 30 are rigidly connected to each other by a drive shaft 38 running almost parallel to the connecting rod 31. This drive shaft 38 is provided at its midpoint with a gear box 39-2, whose input shaft is connected to the output shaft of a drive motor 33 associated with a suitable reduction gear mechanism via a coupling assembly 37.

At the time of doffing the full bobbins on the spindles 73, the drive motor 33 is energized for running and the drive shaft 38 is turned thereby at a prescribed speed via the elements 37 and 39-2. By this turning of the shaft 38, the arms 29 and 30 are swung towards the draw-twister, i.e. counterclockwise in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, so that the chucks 36 are brought into engagement with head parts of the full bobbins resting on the spindles 73. After the engagement is completed, compressed air is supplied to the chucks 36 from a compressor 34 mounted on the movable base 40 by the operation of a suitable electro-magnetic valve (not shown). Concurrently with this compressed air supply, the drive motor 33 starts running in the reverse direction. This induces the returning swing of the arms 29 and 30 to extract full bobbins 59a off of the spindles 73.

Detail structure and operation of the dofting mechanism included by the apparatus of the present invention will now be explained, referring to the illustrations given in FIGS. 13 to 15.

As shown in FIG. 13, a horizontal plate 44 is carried by main body 175 of the apparatus of the present invention. On this plate 144 both the doffing mechanism and the bobbin transfer mechanism are mounted. So that the bobbins 178 can be received in a storing mechanism 183 placed within the main body 175 when they tilt, the plate 144 is provided with cut-outs 176 and 145 at positions intersecting the paths of the tilting bobbins l78b. A horizontal shaft 158 is disposed over the plate 144 being carried by its both ends in bearing brackets 159 and 159a fixed on the plate surface. A pair of mutually spaced bearing brackets 157 and 157a are inserted over the horizontal shaft 158 in an axially slidable arrangement and a slide base 156 is carried by the two brackets so that the base 156 is slidable parallel to the shaft 158.

A drive motor 192 is mounted on the base 156 being accompanied with a suitable reduction mechanism in order to actuate the sliding movement of the slidable base 156. In more detail, a sprocket 193 fixed on the output shaft of the drivemotor 192 is connected with a sprocket via a chain 155, the sprocket 150 being fixed on the middle of a shaft 138 which is supported 

1. Method for doffing full bobbins on an apparatus which travels along the rows of spindles of drawtwisters and is provided with a doffing mechanism, a bobbin transferrer, a bobbin storing mechanism and an empty bobbin feeding mechanism comprising, in the following operational sequence: advancing said doffing mechanism from its stand-by position towards the row of full bobbins resting on said spindles; extracting said multiple full bobbins simultaneously off from said spindles by said doffing mechanism; withdrawing said doffing mechanism with said full bobbins from said row of spindles; transferring said full bobbins carried by said doffing mechanism onto poles of said bobbin transferrer whereby said full bobbins are supported by insertion of the respective poles into an axial hollow of each bobbin wherein said full bobbins are at first received by said poles in a substantially upright disposition and said poles are then tilted so as to hold said bobbins in a substantially horizontal disposition and; transferring said full bobbins from said poles to said bobbin storing chamber all without the physical contact of the mechanisms with the filament yarn of said full bobbins.
 2. Apparatus for doffing full bobbins on textile machines such as draw-twisters comprising in combination: a cage for storing full bobbins encased within a framework travelling along the row of spindles on said draw-twister; a movable base disposed on said framework in an arrangement movable to and from said row of spindles; a doffing mechanism disposed on said movable base and provided with a plurality of gripper chucks corresponding to said spindles including means for moving said gripper chucks into engagement with full bobbins on said spindles to remove the same therefrom and a bobbin transferrer movable to and from said row of spindles, in relation to said movement of said movable base wherein the moving directions of said movable base and said bobbin transferrer during simultaneous operation of both are opposite to each other and provided with multiple tiltable poles corresponding to said gripper chucks for receiving the full bobbins from said gripper chucks for transfer to said storing cage, said bobbin transferrer being positioned between said movable base and said bobbin storing cage on said framework.
 3. Apparatus for doffing full bobbins on textile machines such as draw-twisters comprising in combination: a cage for storing full bobbins encased within a framework travelling along the row of spindles on said draw-twister; a movable base disposed on said framework in an arrangement movable to and from said row of spindles; a doffing mechanism disposed on said movable base and provided with a plurality of gripper chucks corresponding to said spindles including means for moving said gripper chucks into engagement with full bobbins on said spindles to remove the same therefrom and; a bobbin transferrer movable to and from said row of spindles in relation to said movement of said movable base and provided with multiple tIltable poles corresponding to said gripper chucks for receiving the full bobbins from said gripper chucks for transfer to said storing cage wherein said poles are capable of folding at a joint therein, said bobbin transferrer being positioned between said movable base and said bobbin storing cage on said framework.
 4. Apparatus for doffing full bobbins on textile machines such as draw-twisters comprising in combination: a cage for storing full bobbins encased within a framework travelling along the row of spindles on said draw-twister having multiple pairs of rails for supporting both ends of said full bobbins mounted superposedly within said cage in a vertically movable arrangement; a movable base disposed on said framework in an arrangement movable to and from said row of spindles; a doffing mechanism disposed on said movable base and provided with a plurality of gripper chucks corresponding to said spindles including means for moving said gripper chucks into engagement with full bobbins on said spindles to remove the same therefrom and a bobbin transferrer movable to and from said row of spindles, in relation to said movement of said movable base and provided with multiple tiltable poles corresponding to said gripper chucks for receiving the full bobbins from said gripper chucks for transfer to said storing cage, said bobbin transferrer being positioned between said movable base and said bobbin storing cage on said framework.
 5. Apparatus for doffing full bobbins on textile machines such as draw-twisters comprising in combination: a cage for storing full bobbins encased within a framework travelling along the row of spindles on said draw-twister a movable base disposed on said framework in an arrangement movable to and from said row of spindles; a doffing mechanism disposed on said movable base and provided with a plurality of gripper chucks corresponding to said spindles including means for moving said gripper chucks into engagement with full bobbins on said spindles to remove the same therefrom a bobbin transferrer movable to and from said row of spindles in relation to said movement of said movable base and provided with multiple tiltable poles corresponding to said gripper chucks for receiving the full bobbins from said gripper chucks for transfer to said storing cage, said bobbin transferrer being positioned between said movable base and said bobbin storing cage on said framework and; an empty bobbin storing mechanism carried by said movable base and disposed above said doffing mechanism having slidable chutes which are movable at prescribed operational stages of said doffing mechanism and said bobbin transferrer and are slidable upward or downward along a guide member secured to said framework each of said chutes being further provided with a gate capable of opening or closing the bottom aperture thereof.
 6. Method for doffing full bobbins on an apparatus which travels along the rows of spindles of draw twisters and is provided with a doffing mechanism, a bobbin transferrer, a bobbin storing mechanism and an empty bobbin feeding mechanism comprising, in the following operational sequence: advancing said doffing mechanism from its stand-by position towards the row of full bobbins resting on said spindles; extracting said multiple full bobbins simultaneously off from said spindles by said doffing mechanism; withdrawing said doffing mechanism with said full bobbins from said row of spindles transferring said full bobbins carried by said doffing mechanism onto poles of said bobbin transferrer whereby said full bobbins are supported by insertion of the respective poles into an axial hollow of each bobbin; transferring said full bobbins from said poles to said bobbin storing chamber all without the physical contact of the mechanisms with the filament yarn of said full bobbins and; tilting said full bobbins carried by said poles of said bobbin transferrer over a prescribed turning angle; making said bobbin transferrer recede from said row of spindles; accommodatiNg said full bobbins within said bobbin storing mechanism, and; disengaging said poles of said bobbin transferrer from said full bobbins by advancing said bobbin transferrer towards said row of spindles.
 7. Method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said full bobbins are at first received by said poles in a substantially upright disposition and said poles are then tilted so as to uphold said bobbins in a substantially horizontal disposition.
 8. Method as claimed in claim 6 wherein said tilting of said poles is carried out in two stages.
 9. Method as claimed in claim 6 wherein, concurrently with the operations quoted, empty bobbins are fed to said spindles by said empty bobbin feeding mechanism.
 10. Method as claimed in claim 9 wherein feeding of said empty bobbins is carried out concurrently with the receding motion of said bobbin transferrer. 